


Turning The Page

by ChildishFluff



Series: Three Littles, Two Caregivers, and So Many Wars [5]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, CG!Ghostbur, CG!Quackity, CG!Sapnap but only technically and he doesn't do much, Little Space, Little!Tommy, Little!Tubbo, Non-Sexual Age Play
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:41:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28761975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChildishFluff/pseuds/ChildishFluff
Summary: Tommy had been through everything.Losing his caregiver to the election, losing his friends to the exile, losing L'manburg to the war.The only good thing that came out of all of that was that he was no longer alone.He had his friends back, even if one of them was a ghost. And even though it was hard, he wanted to move on from the most emotional chapter in his story yet, and make amends, turn the page, and try to be happy again.Upon turning the page, he finds that he's really enjoying this new chapter of his life, but he knows the story isn't over yet.This story tells you the start of this new chapter, the one Tommy loved so much.He was so glad he turned the page.--This is non-sexual, sfw age regression, dni if you're nsfw/abdl/ageplay/cgl/ect. If any of the creators included in this work say *anything* about being uncomfy with fan fiction/of agere content including them, I will take this down and/or modify it appropriately. If they have already said something that I'm unaware of, please let me know.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Karl Jacobs & Sapnap, Alexis | Quackity & Sapnap, Karl Jacobs & TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Series: Three Littles, Two Caregivers, and So Many Wars [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2082096
Comments: 21
Kudos: 235





	Turning The Page

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This story takes place in the same universe as all the ones in this series. I'd recommend reading Losing Hope at the very least, because this is a direct continuation of that, but reading the others in the series wouldn't hurt. This is over 3000 words, sorry it took so long.   
> Ik it kinda ignores some stuff from the canon lore, the story is just moving so fast rn and I can't keep up as a writer, sorry. This isn't very angsty at all, it's like I put all the hurt in Losing Hope, and put all the comfort here! So if my other story made you and emotional mess, here's the resolution! Isn't that something?  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy, I had fun writing this!

"I missed you, you know." 

"I know, Tommy." 

It was all over. This chapter had had a tragic ending, too. But at least they were all together again. Quackity, Karl, Tommy, Tubbo, and Ghostbur sat around the very lake Tubbo had dragged Tommy to all those months ago, when Alivebur wasn't being the best caregiver and he wanted to see Karl. It felt like everything had changed since then

None of the littles remembered the last time they regressed. The last time they all had a playdate. _The last time they had even been together_. 

It seemed like it was so many chapters ago that they were all friends with each other. Running around L'manburg, with plastic swords and flower crowns. Maybe they'd never get back to that, but it was possible, that if they tried hard enough, they could fix things between them. 

They could talk things out, and apologize for their part in everything, and just come back together. And eventually, things will be just as they had been before. Happy, fun, and lighthearted. 

Of course, 'talking things out' was a little difficult with a ghost who doesn't remember everything that happened. 

"I know things are weird, between all of us," Tommy sighed, looking away from Tubbo. "And that things are complicated. But I think we all have regrets. I cared to much about the discs, and I still do."

"I exiled you when I should've tried harder to avoid it. I am so sorry, Tommy." 

This chapter in the story was an emotional one. It was the necessary scene where all the tension between the characters had to be let go, and they all had to pour their hearts out to one another. This wasn't something that the readers could skip over, it was something that needed to happen. 

"I know. I forgive you. And I'm sorry, too." 

Wilbur's voice came next, Quackity and Karl remaining silent for now. "I don't remember what I did, so I don't if an apology means anything when I'm not sure what I did wrong or how I felt, or what I was thinking when it all happened. But I'm sorry that _any_ version of me would do _anything_ to hurt _any_ of you." 

He kept going, looking between the others. "I remember the happy bits of my life. Most of what I remember was with you guys, which must mean that you guys, and the dynamic we built around your guys's regression made me happy. Being caregiver made me happy. I-i think it helped me, like regression helps you boys." 

Tommy felt something let up in his chest. Relief. He needed this. He needed to hear the apologies, he needed to stop repressing how this all has affected him. 

"I haven't regressed happily in a long time," Tubbo sighed. "Not much at all, really. I have no one to take care of me and I regress fairly small." he admitted. 

"What about you, Toms?" Wilbur questioned, in the same soft voice he used to. 

_Toms_. Tommy hadn't heard that in a while. 

Throughout all of his exile, he avoided talking about his regression with Wilbur whenever he was around. Techno, too. He was glad he did though, Techno _did_ betray him later. He had kept his guard up there and he was glad that he had done so. 

"I get lonely whenever I regress. It would just make me sadder, and get in the way of things, it stopped helping me." 

"Karl?" Quackity spoke up, looking to the boy he used to call his little, though he was sure he knew what his response would be. 

"I regress to teenage ages sometimes, just a few years back when things become to overwhelming. I get sad though, too. I miss not being alone." 

Those last words hit Tommy straight in the heart. 

_I miss not being alone._

They felt it too. **Alone.**

For him, it was more literal. He probably had it worse than the others, he really couldn't see anybody. But they all were still pulled apart. It was easily possible that they all _felt_ alone, no matter how true it was. 

"L'manburg is gone and things are complicated," Quackity started. "You and Tubbo have already worked things out, right?" Quackity asked, looking to the two boys, who nodded a bit. 

"We talked, yeah. We might still have things to work through." Tubbo admitted. 

"Tommy, I don't think I actually apologized to you. I had a big part to do with your exile, and a lot of the stuff that happened. All the issues in our little group started because I threw a fit over a not-democratic government," that earned a chuckle from everyone. "I'm sorry."

"No, no. The system was unfair, and I'm sorry I didn't realize that until later. Like you said, things are complicated, that applies to the exile thing too. You are forgiven." 

"And I'm sorry to you too, Tubs." Quackity said. Why were the caregivers pulling out all the nostalgic nicknames during an emotional talk? Were they _trying_ to make them slip? "I-i pressured you, at least a bit, into the whole exile thing. That was to far." 

Quackity spoke to Karl next. "And I'm sorry that I had anything to do with the fact that you were separated from your friends. I'm sorry that I hurt you, baby." 

Karl, who hadn't spoke up much, seemed so close to tears just at that. "Quaaack," he whined, chuckling and wiping at his eyes. "You're forgiven." he said, immediately. 

"From me, too." Tubbo added. 

"I-i don't know if I did anything big that I need to apologize for," Karl admitted. "But I'm sorry, if I did. I don't ever wanna hurt any of you." 

"We've all apologized to each other then, right?" Wilbur asked. Everyone glanced around, before he earned a chorus of nods and affirming statements. "Are we all friends again, then?" 

"We lost a lot yesterday. L'manburg, everything we've worked for so long. But we got some things back." Tommy began, looking to Tubbo again. "I think we got us back." 

"Yeah, we did. It's kinda hard to stay mad at someone when you fight alongside them," Tubbo chuckled, smiling at him before breaking their eye contact. "We still have things to work through, obviously. Conversations to have, we should probably talk more about how this all affected us, mentally. But we apologized, and that's enough for now." 

"I agree," Quackity said. "We're back, baby!" 

His cheering earned giggles from the whole group. Everything felt better. 

It was like Tommy had finally found a way to put the picture frame that held his old life back together, but it was a slow process that was coming back together over time, and the picture he put in the frame would be much different then it's original one. 

There still might be war, and more fights to get through. But for now, they had each other. 

_And that was enough._

\--

Since the conversation at the lake, it seemed that the idea of trying to regress again was in the back of the three little's minds. Dream was off where ever he was, Wilbur was planning a way to come back to life, and Tommy was working on getting the discs back. 

For now, they had a routine, a sense of normalcy that came with always having something to do. It was nice, this is how it used to be. There was always a quest to work on, but there was room for fun. 

The idea of Wilbur coming back to life was scary to Tommy. The last he saw of Alivebur wasn't good, and it was likely he'd return to all those toxic behaviors. He wanted the Wilbur he had back before the election, not Ghostbur, or the version of him that came about with conflict. But Tommy couldn't worry about that now, that was Wilbur's choice, not his. 

"T-tommy," Tubbo's voice came out in a whisper as he bit on his lip. He fiddled with his shirt, not looking up at his friend. 

"Hmm?" Tommy immediately stopped mining and looked over at Tubbo, looking him up and down. He seemed shy, and much, much more quieter than usual. 

"Um," he paused, looking up. His eyes were innocent and childlike, just like they used to be when he slipped. "Do we have to mine for stuff now? C-can we go find Ghostbur?" 

"Not really. I can gather supplies later," Tommy gave a knowing smile. "We can find Ghostbur, and Karl, and Quackity," he started, putting away his axe. "And we can all go make flower crowns next to the prime path..." 

He came closer to him, watching Tubbo blush and nod quickly. "I'm sorry, I-i haven't been.." 

"Small?" Tommy offered. 

"Yeah, I haven't been small in a while. I-it feels weird." Tubbo admitted. 

"Not bad, though?"

"No, not bad. Just weird." 

Tommy took Tubbo's hand, leading him out of the mine and climbing out onto grass. Just like it used to go, Tommy felt himself slipping just because Tubbo was. He was right, it felt nice, but weird. 

Kinda like when you revisit a place you used to go when you were a kid, but something bad happened there. A weird feeling of bittersweet nostalgia. There were good memories, but it was hard to ignore all the bad ones. 

But at the same time, Tommy was happy to be little again. He missed it, really. 

"Ghostbur!" Tubbo's voice immediately rang out when he saw the ghost man sitting on the bench by Tommy's house, fiddling with a blue crystal. 

"Hello, Tubbo," Wilbur said, looking up at him before immediately being attacked into a hug by the quickly-regressing little. 

"Hi," he squeaked, giggling a bit. Ghostbur's skin was cold, and physical contact with him was weird for anyone. But Tubbo still wanted to hug him. "Feelin', um...."

"Small?" Wilbur offered, just as Tommy had done a bit ago. He sounded excited about this. Wilbur missed being a caregiver. Tubbo hummed, climbing off of his lap and sitting next to him. 

"Didn' mean to slip. Minin' with Tommy and then, 'boom!'," he made an 'explosion' motion with his hands. "I'm tiny." 

"Hmm," Wilbur said, a little amused. "Well now we have a Tiny Tubbo on our hands, whatever will we do?" Wilbur sighed dramatically, earning a giggle from Tubbo as he glanced up at Tommy.

"Do we have a Tiny Tommy, too?" he asked. 

"Not that tiny," Tommy shook his head immediately. "Big boy." he stated, simply. 

"Sureee," he held out his words. "Did you guys keep your little gear safe?" Wilbur asked, moving on from the teasing immediately.

Tubbo immediately pouted. "Was in L'manburg. Bee Bee gone," he cried, mourning the loss of his favorite stuffed animal. A soft little bee. Tommy felt childish anger bubble up in his chest. Dream was a meanie. He made Tubbo sad and killed Ms. Bee Bee. He was a stuffie murderer! 

"You want me to tell you a secret, sweetie?" Wilbur said, leaning closer to Tubbo, who shrugged. "Bee Bee is like me! She became a ghost, and she can come back to life through another stuffie. We just need to find one, and then she will take it's body." He was coming up with this on the spot, really. It would help to comfort him if they got a stuffed animal to replace Bee Bee, especially if he was told it held Bee Bee's spirit. 

"Weally?" 

"You're talking to a ghost, Tubs. I definitely know my stuff." Wilbur patted his head. 

"I-i kept some of my little stuff in my house, stole it back from L'manburg after we were kicked out. We can go get it!" Tommy offered, his words sounding a bit more childish. He hadn't exactly slipped, but he was very close. 

"Okay, I have an important job for you, Toms. Something only a big boy like you can do." 

He bounced on his feet, tilting his head just a bit (like a curious puppy). "You take Tubbo to the little gear and grab anything you need or want. And then, play in your house until I come back."

"Okay!" Tommy nodded, understanding his job and being excited about the fact that he had a job in the first place. He took Tubbo's hand, and lead him across the grass and Prime Path to his house. 

Tommy let go of his hand once they were inside, letting him sit on the ground, as he went to a chest in the corner, digging through it. "Do you need a paci, Tubs?" Tommy's voice spoke up as he wrapped his hand around a little plastic tub. He looked over to his littler best friend, who had been looking around the room mindlessly. 

Tubbo nodded shyly, pouting a bit. Tommy came over to him, setting the small plastic tub between them as he came to a sitting position. "I'm sorry that your bee paci is gone now," he said, opening it, and grabbing one. "But I have a yellow paci that I never used! You can have it, and we can decorate it to look like your old bee one!" he offered, excitement in his voice as he held out the adult pacifier. 

"Weally?"

"Mhm."

"T'ank you." 

Once Tubbo had a pacifier, Tommy picked out an outfit for him. An off-white sweater that used to belong to Wilbur when he was alive, and his favorite black overalls. "B-but..." Tubbo pouted down at the clothes in his arms. "These are the ones you wear." he managed, struggling to speak around the pacifier. 

"Is okay!" Tommy assured, pulling a blue pair from the chest. "Gonna wear dis!" 

Tommy then helped Tubbo get dressed into the much more childlike attire, pulling on his own after. He prioritized Tubbo when it came to everything, making sure Tubbo was set before he was. It only felt right after Tubbo took care of him so much back after Alivebur started going crazy.

"Snuggle dis bunny," Tommy said, holding out a yellow-furred bunny to him. "Got it for you, never got to give it, though." he explained when Tubbo looked up to him with innocent and curious eyes. He had bought the stuffed to for Tubbo a while back, and forgot about it with everything going on. 

After finding out that Bee Bee, his favorite stuffie, was gone, he figured it was time to hand the gift over.

"She's Bee Bee!" Tubbo giggled. Tommy was still big enough to know that that wasn't how it worked, but he played along for his sake. 

"Yeah, She's Bee Bee the bunny!" he encouraged, dropping down to sit in front of him, like before. Tommy was in a weird spot right now. He was aging up and aging down quickly, like his brain couldn't decide how little he wanted to be. It was his first time regressing in a while, it was bound to be a little weird. 

They kept talking, joking and playing around with the stuffed animal, until they heard a knock n the door. "Wilby!" they said in unison, jumping up and running over to the doors, pulling them open. 

"Hello! I brought friends," Ghostbur announced, Karl, Quackity, and Sapnap behind him. "Do you wanna come out and play with your friend?" 

Instead of replying, the two littles ducked around the ghost (despite the fact that they could go through him and they really wanted), attacking Karl into a hug. The three caregivers watched the sight of their little reunion with happiness in their hearts. 

Sapnap hadn't been caregivering for quite as long, but he had taken care of Karl a few times, mostly comforting him when he cried and helping him out of any emotionally-draining impure regressions. This is the first time where he'd get to see Karl happy while small, surrounded by his friends. 

And just like they used to, they immediately started with flower crowns. "The Flower Princes rule one again!" Karl's voice giggled out as he slammed the purple-petaled flower crown onto his head, spinning around in a circle. 

"Flower princes is a thing they made up, back before the election," Quackity explained to his partner, "Tubs likes making flower crowns when he's little so they're almost always wearing one." 

The three caregivers sat on a blanket a few feet away from where the littles played by the lake, the three childlike boys playing as if nothing had changed. The only difference is that they were nicer to each other, and a lot more cuddly. 

As if any hug or interaction would be their last, as if they'd be separated again at any moment. It'd take a while to get rid of the fear, after everything that happened. Even if they all made up, the idea that something would pull them apart once again was scary. 

Things would slowly go back to how they used to be. They'd play together, and remember their old favorite games and activities and remember how much they liked being friends with each other. As for the caregivers, things were surely going to complicate if and when Wilbur get resurrected. 

The last all of them remembered of Alivebur was a war-crazed terrible caregiver. Quackity told Tubbo and Tommy privately that if things go wrong again, he'd be there, just like he had been before. Except, this time, Sapnap would also be there to help, if the situation came up. 

"Sleepy," Tubbo whined, plopping down on the blanket, crawling to sit on one side of Wilbur. Tommy and Karl were still excitedly chasing each other around. At some point, the other two boys had aged up a little, so they were just two hyper kids, leaving Tubbo and Bunny Bee Bee in toddler-land. 

"Hmm, I suppose baby boys do need naps..." he trailed off, softly guiding him down so that his head sat on his lap. Tubbo tensed up for a moment at the cold ghost's touch, but soon relaxed into the affection. He curled up , pulling his gifted stuffed animal to his chest and not even noticing it when Ghostbur softly took his white-petaled flower crown away, setting it to the side. 

"Go to sleep, baby. I'll wake you up in an hour, so you have some time to play before we leave, yeah?" 

Tubbo softly nodded, drifting off almost immediately, earning soft smiles from all the caregivers. "Tubs sleepin'?" Tommy's voice spoke up a few minutes later, inturrupting whatever the caregiver had been talking about. Karl joined him, standing side-by-side with his friend. They missed this, and they couldn't be happier to have their friendship back. 

They just hoped it'd last longer this time. 

"Yeah, he's sleepy, sweetie," Ghostbur nodded, softly running his fingers through the little's hair. Tommy nodded, moving to sit on the blanket, coming close to Tubbo's face and confusing the carers. 

"Be gentle, little one, he's a lot smaller then you right now and we don't wanna wake him up," Quackity told him, speaking softly and sweetly to the boy, who only hummed. No one knew what he was doing. 

Tommy leaned down, planting a kiss on his friend's forehead, gently, just as he had been told. "H-he give me forehead kisses when I was small." he explained, getting up and going back over to Karl. 

"Back when..." Ghostbur stumbled over his words, "Back when I was alive but not being nice?" 

"Mhm." Tommy hummed. Besides the slight awkwardness that the mention of Alivebur brought, the moment was sweet. As if nothing had happened, Karl and Tommy ran back off to keep playing. And all of them were thinking of how thankful they were to have each other in their lives once more.

Sometimes, when bad things happen, it feels like it's the end of the story. It feels like it's never gonna get better. But really, things do get better. You just have to power through this dramatic character-developing plotline, and turn the page. Because your story doesn't end there, in tragedy. Tommy's didn't. 

To get to your happy ending, you just have to get through this chapter, this arc, this scene. Tommy talking to his friends and caregiver at the lake, even after the emotional disaster of a loss that was L'manburg, was him powering through and _turning the page_. He had turned the page to an unwritten chapter that he loved oh-so-much. 

You'll become happy too, just turn the page. Just power through. 

_Just wait for the next chapter. Things just get better from there._

**Author's Note:**

> So I pulled another 'let's talk directly to the readers and break the fourth wall bc I have a sweet message for everyone'. This really do be having a theme though. Anyways, what did you think of this? This part of the story is kinda at a standstill until I see how things play out in canon, so there may be more conflict, who knows...  
> We'll have to wait and see. I always appreciate feedback, so comments mean a lot, whether you're responding to my end-notes questions, or requesting a fic (I may not always write it, but please request anyways, the worst that can happen is that I say no), seeing feedback helps! Thanks for reading!


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